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Home » Indian Recipes

January 18, 2023

Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

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Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo -Restaurant-quality ,Spicy, Fiery Red Chicken Curry from the east coast of India! Serve with Dinner Rolls, Rice or Naan

Chicken Vindaloo in a black bowl with 3 pieces of onion and a cilantro on top. Kept on a wooden trivet
Jump to:
  • What is vindaloo
  • What is Chicken Vindaloo Curry
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions
  • How to make Goan Chicken Vindaloo Curry
  • Marinade the Chicken
  • Saute
  • Recipe Notes
  • Serving
  • Storing & Freezing
  • Variations
  • More Indian Chicken Curry Recipes
  • Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo
  • Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Korma
  • Instant pot chicken vindaloo
  • Frequently asked Questions

TASTE: Spicy curry ,slightly sour from the vinegar.
TEXTURE: Smooth Rich Gravy with cooked chicken
EASE:  Once you have the ingredients it's super easy!
APPEARANCE: Reddish orange curry
Serve with : Bread, dinner rolls, rice or naan. Traditionally with Sanas

So you went to goa for your last holiday and were bowled over by the amazing cuisine.And now that you are home, you want to recreate some of that food..

Well no worries..I have got you!This recipe is as authentic as it gets while being simple at the same time!

First things first..This is a spicy curry.So if you cannot take spice, you should make north indian butter chicken instead.

But if you are looking for a spicy curry? Then look no further!!

This is a fiery red curry from Goa. East coast of India, famous for it's beaches, Food & Wine.

Traditionally Vindaloo is made with Pork. Here we are making a simpler version with Chicken.

This is what we will do.You can also watch the video recipe to understand more details

  • Make the Vindaloo Paste
  • Marinate the Chicken
  • Sauté onions
  • Slow cook the Chicken

Vindaloo, though from goa, is made in many forms and ways all along the east coast of india. Mangalorean Chicken Ghee roast ,Shrimp Gassi, Mangalorean Prawn Sukka & Malabar Chicken Peralan some of the chicken dishes that have similar ingredients too. They are all from the eastern coast of India.

Close up of the goan chicken vindaloo. Looking lucscious and inviting

What is vindaloo

This curry is has emerged from melting pot of poturgese, Goan and British influences.

In fact, the name "Vindaloo" is actually a garbled version of the Portuguese dish called carne de vinha d'alhos which translates to "meat in garlic wine marinade".

In around 1800's,this dish was Indianised by using palm vinegar instead of wine and was traditionally made with pork or beef.The further evolution of this dish happened when British ruled India- in that version the meat was marinated overnight with vinegar, ginger,garlic and spices and then cooked the next day.

What is Chicken Vindaloo Curry

Chicken vindaloo is a leaner cousin of the traditional pork vindaloo.

We have made the same sauce and simmered the chicken slowly in the sauce so all the flavors get infused all the way in.

When made right, a vindaloo curry should be red-maroonish in color, slightly sweet, have layers of heat from- red dry chilies, green chilies and black pepper and the most important have two distinct sour notes coming from  the vinegar.

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make vindaloo. At the end of this section, there is a list of substitutes so that you can make this curry anywhere in the world with what you have.

Ingredients needed to make goan chicken vindaloo
Chicken
Onion
Dried Red Chilies
Peppercorn or whole pepper
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cloves
Sugar
Vinegar
Cumin
Ginger
Garlic
Garlic

Vindaloo Curry Paste Ingredients

Here is what you need to make the vindaloo paste

  • Dried Red Chilies
  • Peppercorn or whole pepper
  • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Sugar
  • Vinegar
  • Cumin
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Garlic

Rest of the ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Oil
  • Onions

Chicken

I have used a whole skin on chicken that's been cut into about 3-4 inch pieces.This is called curry cut chicken.

You can also use chicken drumsticks or thighs with bone in or a combination of both.

This curry is traditionally made with pork which is slow cooked for long.To make the curry in chicken, we will need it cut in such a way that it can sustain slow cooking.

Vindaloo is also made with high fat meat, and that is why we have used skin on chicken for this.

Chilies

The color of the vindaloo is all from the chilies. This is an important part of the recipe. The best kind of chili to use would be anything that gives color but not heat.

You can use bydagi chillies from Karnataka, Kashmiri chilies from kashmir , Ancho chilies from mexico which is a dried form of poblano pepper.

You can also use paprika or ground Kashmiri chili powder instead.(6 chilies make 1 tablespoon of powder)

TOP TIP- Most of the heat in a chili comes from the seeds. So if you want the color but not the heat, cut up the chili and discard the seeds

Garlic

A lot of garlic!

The minimum is about 8 cloves. Though if you love garlic like i do, increase that to 15 cloves.

Sugar

When you use so many chilies, sugar becomes so so important! I know it seems funny but trust me, this will give the curry a multi dimensional flavor.

You can use palm sugar or jaggery or white sugar.

Vinegar

This is the element that gives the vindaloo it's sourness. This along with the use of chilies, distinguish vindaloo from every other curry.

So you must must uses vinegar!

For this curry we have not used any tamarind, tomatoes or lemon. Vinegar not only gives the curry it's characteristic depth but also balances everything together.

Ideally, use palm or coconut vinegar. If you don't have that, use regular white vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Substitutions

A quick table for substitutions

  • Curry Cut Chicken with Skin - Skin on, bone on Chicken Thighs, Pork or Lamb
  • Kashmiri Chilies- Ground Kashmiri chili powder, paprika, ancho Chilies, Bydagi chilies
  • Sugar- White, Brown sugar or jaggery, palm jaggery, coconut jaggery
  • Vinegar- Goan Vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, palm vinegar, coconut vinegar

How to make Goan Chicken Vindaloo Curry

Make The Spice Paste

Once you get the vindaloo paste right, rest of it is very easy.

If you have a high speed blender, something in which you have made nut butters or spice blends, you can just blend everything toghether into a thick paste.Add a littl water if needed.

If you do not have a high speed blender, soak the chilies in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water and then proceed to make the paste.

Watch out for the cinnamon and ginger. Those two culprits usually take the longest to blend.

Making goan vindaloo curry paste in a blender

Marinade the Chicken

Add all that gorgeous red spice blend to the chicken. Let it marinate for 15 minutes to 24 hours in the fridge.

You can also freeze the marinated chicken for later use.

Marinating the chicken will make it tender. Especially because of the vinegar. The chicken will also get flavored till the inside.

Marination Time Guide

Minimum -15 minutes
Average- 1-3 hours in refrigerator
Best- 4- 24 hours

marinating the chicken with the Making goan vindaloo curry paste

Saute

Now the easy part.

Add the oil and onions. Sauté till the onions are translucent pink whitish. These will add thickness to the gravy.

Now add the chicken with about a cup of water. I usually add the water to the blender I used to get all that leftover marinade too.

Give it a good mix.

Simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes on low heat.

Heat oil and onion in a pot
onion is cooked and translucent
add marinated chicken
simmer the chicken

Recipe Notes

You will know the curry is cooked when

  • Oil floats on top
  • Chicken legs start to tear

To make the curry less spicy, you can

  • Cut the chili and remove the seeds before using
  • Reduce the amount of chili used. This will change the color a bit but the taste will still be on point
  • Last resort for all curries- dilute it with coconut milk

Best Pot to make Vindaloo

  • Enameled Cast Iron Heavy bottomed pan which can withstand constant heat for a long time.
  • Heavy bottomed steel pot

Reduced Fat Chicken Vindaloo

  • You can skim the red fat that comes on top after the cooking is done
  • You can also use skin less chicken to make a healthier version of chicken vindaloo
Goan chicken vindaloo in a white pot

Serving

Vindaloo is best served a day after cooking. That's when the spices have matured, gone all the way in the chicken.

Vindaloo is usually a part of goan Christmas dinner. Traditionally ,it is served with soft fermented rice cakes called sannas. They are sort of like idlies. That's why idlies are a great choice to serve vindaloo with.

Another great choice is dinner rolls or pavs. I love mopping up the vindaloo curry with a soft warm pav.

You also have the choice choice of plain rice and naans.

As the curry is spicy by itself, it's usually paired with neutral accompaniments.

chicken vindaloo on top of rice with onions and bread

Storing & Freezing

The curry will last on the counter for 5-10 hours depending on how hot it is. In hotter, humid climates, its best to refrigerate the curry within 3-4 hours of making.

In the refrigerator, the chicken vindaloo curry will last for 6-7 days. Make sure you store it in a air tight container so that it doesn't transfer its smell and spices to rest of the things in the fridge.

I also suggest you do not use plastic or Tupperware. It will most probably stain the boxes.

If you love making vindaloo, you can make the paste and store it in the fridge for up to 20-25 days.

Also! This curry, like all other curries, freezes well. It should last for 2-3 months, if packed nicely. Use a freezer safe container or freezer bags.

When you freeze curries, they do tend to separate. Especially vindaloo. You will see the fat separate from the rest of the curry. You can skim it off if you prefer.

To thaw the curry, simply microwave it.

chicken vindaloo on top of rice with onions and bread

Variations

Vindaloo sauce is very popular across the world. It is made with a lot of different animal proteins and vegetables. Here are a few variations.

Vegetable or Vegetarian Vindaloo - Use potatoes, mushrooms, paneer instead of using chicken. Cook the spice blend with a little water. Once the gravy is cooked, add the vegetables, paneer or tofu.
Vindaloo sauce doesn't use any dairy and that is why, it can be converted into a vegan dish by using jackfruit or tofu instead.

Pork-You can use a fatty cut of pork to make this. Pork belly is a great option. Simmer the curry for 90-100 minutes on slow flame to get a rich pork vindaloo.

Lamb or Duck Vindaloo- You can also use lamb and cook it in the same way as pork

Fish & Shrimp - Fish is a delicate protein. To use this, you should complete till the step of adding the spice blend to cooked onions. Add a bit of water and let the gravy cook for 15 minutes. After the gravy is cooked, add the fish. Simmer for 10 minutes till the fish is cooked through.

Chicken vindaloo with potatoes - Add 2 large peeled and halved potatoes while making the curry. The potatoes will soak up all the extra fat and make the curry thicker too.

More Indian Chicken Curry Recipes

Love curries? Here are some of the most popular chicken curries in India

Butter Chicken - mild curry with tomatoes, cream and morsels of chicken
Kerala Coconut Chicken - Chicken curry with spices, onions and coconut milk
Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast - Another curry from the east coast of india; best with dosa or appams
Instant Pot Mughlai Chicken Korma Recipe - Another north Indian curry from the land of kings, Lucknow.

If you make Chicken Vindaloo with this recipe, do drop me a note. I would love to hear what you thought about the curry!


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If you liked my recipe, do leave a comment!
It will help others find this amazing recipe too!


Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo

Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo using dried red chilies, vinegar and a few spices.
4.58 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Authentic Goan Chicken Vindaloo
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Chhavi

Ingredients 

  • 2 Pounds Chicken with skin or chicken drumsticks
  • 1 Cup Onion Chopped (about 150gms)
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • Salt as per taste adjust as per taste

Vindaloo Curry Paste

  • 10 Garlic Cloves or more if you love garlic.
  • 1 inch Ginger
  • 10 Kashmiri Chillies or Bydagi Chillies or Paprika.Check notes for more.
  • ½ tablespoon Black Pepper
  • ¼ tablespoon Mustard Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 6 Cloves
  • 5 inch Cinnamon Stick
  • ½ Cup Vinegar white or red wine vinegar or Coconut vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar or Brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Making the Vindaloo Masala Paste

  • Add everything listed under vindaloo paste to a grinder or a blender- Chilies, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper, Turmeric, Vinegar, cloves and cinnamon .
  • Blend it till its smooth. Add more water if needed to help make the paste.
  • Your Vindaloo curry paste is ready
  • Marinate the chicken in the curry paste for at least 15 minutes. It's best if you can do this for 12-24 hours.

Stove Top Cooking

  • Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a pan.
  • Once heated, add the onions
  • Cook till they are golden translucent whitish pink.
  • Add all the marinated chicken.
  • Add 1 cup of water to the bowl the chicken was marinated in.Get all the leftover marinade.
  • Add the 1 cup of water into the chicken. Give it a mix.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 40-45 minutes. Open & give the curry a mix a few times in the middle.
  • The curry is done when the chicken leg starts to tear up and the red oil floats on top.
  • Taste and adjust salt and vinegar is needed.

Instant Pot Cooking

  • In the instant pot, select SAUTE mode.Once hot, Add oil.
  • To this add the onions and cook till it turns golden- about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the Chicken and all the marinade plus ¾ cup of water.Cancel SAUTE.
  • Select Pressure Cook/Manual setting at HIGH pressure and pressure cook for 12minutes.Let the pressure release naturally.
  • If the gravy is too watery for your taste, reduce it using the saute function.

Video

Notes

 

Substitutions

  • Curry Cut Chicken with Skin - Skin on, bone on Chicken Thighs, drumsticks Pork or Lamb
  • Kashmiri Chilies- Ground Kashmiri chili powder, paprika, ancho Chilies, Bydagi chilies
  • Sugar- White, Brown sugar or jaggery, palm jaggery, coconut jaggery
  • Vinegar- Goan Vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, palm vinegar, coconut vinegar

Serving

Vindaloo is traditionally served with sannas which are fermented rice cakes like idlies.
You can serve it with dinner rolls, breads and pav.Rice, rotis and naans are also great serving options.
I usually serve yogurt on the side. Especially while feeding people with low spice tolerance.

Chilies

This curry gets its color and spice from the chilies.
To decrease the spice level of the dish
  • Cut the chili and remove the seeds before using
  • Reduce the amount of chili used. This will change the color a bit but the taste will still be on point
  • Last resort for all curries- dilute it with coconut milk
To increase the spice Level
  • Add upto 15-18 chilies.
  • You can also supplement with green chilies or ground chili powder but it will make the curry very very spicy.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
293
If you liked the recipe, please leave us a rating
4.58 from 7 votes
Follow me on InstagramMy handle is @yellowthyme

Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken vindaloo is a dish that's emerged from Goan and Portuguese cuisines coming together. It relies on chilies, vinegar, sugar and spices for flavour. Vindaloo is also usually made with red meat like pork and lamb.

On the other hand, chicken tikka masala is an indian dish that was invented in UK. Though it's a quintessential Punjabi dish where tandoori chicken morsels are simmered in a rich gravy made with tomatoes and a touch of dairy cream.

Aside the a few basic spices like turmeric and chilies, the two dishes are far apart in their look, taste and texture

Chicken Vindaloo vs Chicken Korma

Chicken korma is a milder dish, usually light in color. It's made with cashews and occasionally cream. You can see the recipe of chicken korma here.It comes from the north west part of india and falls under Mughlai cuisine.

On the other hand, vindaloo originated when Portuguese people came to goa.It has both goan and Portuguese influences. It is a spicy curry that relies on chilies as a base and also for color.

Instant pot chicken vindaloo

Yes you can make the chicken vindaloo in the instant pot too.

Instead of slow cooking it in a pot, you can pressure cook it in a more controlled and hands free way.

Though, pressure cooking the chicken releases more water and you will be left with a more watery gravy.

Also, the masala doesn't get roasted and caramelized. So all in all the taste and texture will be a little different but it will still have the taste of vindaloo.

All you need to do is follow the process till marination in the recipe card.

Using the saute mode, sauté the onions till pink or translucent.

Add the marinated chicken with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 12 minutes on high.

Frequently asked Questions

Is Vindaloo spicy?

Yes. Vindaloo is known for being spice. A Vindaloo curry can be anywhere between 175,000 to 500,000 on the Scoville scale.
As you are making the spice paste at home, this can be controlled depending on your taste and preference.
If you are looking for a milder curry, try making Butter Chicken Instead.

Is Vindaloo Healthy

This is subjective. Usually vindaloo is made with fatty cuts of meat. The recipe is dairy free, gluten free. It can be made keto by switching the sugar with keto approved sugar substitute like stevia.

More Indian Recipes

  • Pesarattu - Green Moong Dal Dosa
  • Peanut Chutney for Idli & Dosa
  • Chicken Keema- Indian Minced Chicken Curry
  • Instant Pot Paneer Butter Masala (Makhani)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wajeeha Banu says

    October 30, 2018 at 2:25 am

    4 stars
    I tried this recipe and it came out delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. Will definitely try other recipes.

    Reply
    • chhavi says

      December 14, 2018 at 4:47 am

      Thanks Wajeeha!

      Reply
  2. Michele says

    December 14, 2018 at 12:49 am

    I am following your recipe it looks wonderful. I have a little feedback for you. Look over your recipe and instructions again. You have dropped out the tamarind water in the instructions. I can figure it out, but I have been cooking for many years. Thank you for sharing with the English speaking world! I will let you know what my English husband says!

    Reply
    • chhavi says

      December 14, 2018 at 4:48 am

      Thankyou Michele for pointing that out!! I have corrected my error!!

      Reply
  3. Shobhit Sharma says

    January 26, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    4 stars
    Love this Tamil Nadu Style Pepper Chicken Curry

    Reply
  4. Harleen kaur says

    February 18, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Hi! I am doing a research on Indian cuisine. There have been different recipes for chicken vindaloo , mainly without Tarmarind. I am unfamiliar with the Goan culture. Could you please tell me if this is how Goans cook it at their homes?

    Reply

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